Understanding
by goingdownhillagain
Summary: Relena and Duo have a little...talk.


Understanding

By goingdownhillagain

This is my first fan fiction…yeaness…hope it's coherent.

Disclaimer: I own a model of Wing Zero. I will also own models of other Gundams. However, the actual characters and mechas are a bit of a problem. Besides you could get a bloody red cent out of me if you tried.

Alright, let's get this over with… sigh

Duo fought the urge to sneeze as a cloud of concrete dust settled on his head. The air was getting stale, though a shard of light was hitting their little hovel. Above him, the sound of activity was muffled but he could feel the vibrations of the jackhammers through the seven feet of ruble. He could also smell the faint tinge of burning rubber, kerosene and surprisingly coffee.

"Uuuhh! … My fucking head…"

Duo smirked at the groan. Who would have thought the Pretty Pink Princess had such a dirty mouth. When things were exploding around them with unwavering frequency, he distinctly remembered hearing an extensive vocabulary of expletives spewing from the Vice Foreign Minister's mouth, as they were bodily propelled against one of the wall of the Reception Hall. _That_, in Duo's opinion, was the one thing that had saved their cute adolescent backsides. While in the nasty world of reality, the wall falling flat on them would have crushed their bodies like a well placed Gundam, they had the great fortune of barely avoiding a collapsing pillar, cutting them off from the rest of the guards. The aforementioned wall suddenly found its descent impeded by hunks of off-white pillar and pieces of the embroidered ceiling. However, Murphy still demanded his pound of flesh, thus Relena had been knocked unconscious by a well placed concrete rose, while the wall, which was they salvation from falling debris, buckled under the jarring weight, caving in and pinning Duo and Relena the floor.

"Miss Relena?"

"Heero… damnit…sleeping…sic Millardo…bastard…"

Duo's chuckle became a hacking cough as Relena's eyes fluttered open, her delicate lashes disturbing the dust molecules on her cheeks. He felt the sharp intake in breath as she became instantly aware of her situation and her position.

" Maxwell? What-"

"Sorry Princess. We seem to be in a bit of a situation…"

Relena snorted, "Oh really Mr. Maxwell," she rasped " well that's good to know."

Duo smiled in agreement.

"Okay, tell me what happened. With as much detail as possible."

Duo immediately recognized the tone and began to recall the day.

Simply put, they should have listened to the earthquake warnings. The area was experiencing a high level of seismic activity, enough to have some people slightly concerned. However the final decisions for the rehabilitation project for the affected colonies needed to be made and Relena Peacecraft- Dorlaine was not one for idleness.

"Relena, I really think you should reconsider the recommendation from Councilor Luring."

"Quatre, you of all people recognize that his recommendation will place too much financial control within his colony."

"I have yet see any desire in Councilor Luring for dominance over the other members. He is too pre-occupied with salvaging the lost food supply from the program glitch one month ago."

"Oh, no, no, no! I agree with you on Luring. I think he is best suited to developing L2 the way it should be developed. It's his council I'm wary of. Remember who is his Vice."

"What do you mean? Wait, you're not referring to–"

"Yes, and when last I checked she was still intent on her sponsorship scheme."

"Oh now I understand. All she needs to do is convince him to step down—"

"Exactly."

Duo shook her head in disbelief as he walked away. Only Relena and Quatre had the ability to logically decimate a policy in less than twelve seconds. Duo had no problems with Luring's plan. The extra funds would have help L2 to recover, especially when they didn't have a perpetually faulty environmental system to deal with. But he had met the woman under question once, and he could see the source of Relena's mistrust. Vice Councilor Anders was very committed to L2 resurrection. However her commitment had a disturbingly hungry tinge to it. For her, L2's success was not for its own sake, or the sake of its citizens, but for something far more personal, almost vindictive.

The lunch break was almost over and he, Wufei and Heero had the duty of escorting the councilors back into the meeting room. Relena and Quatre hung back talking rather intently with Councilor Luring. The man looked somewhat disappointed but Duo could see the intelligence swimming behind those tired eyes. His plan would be rejected but Duo suspected that he understood the reason.

Duo, as per his orders, did a final sweep of the room, verifying the absence of any recorded or surveillance material not validated by the Preventers. Since he was given free reign to design the electronic system, the sweep took exactly twelve seconds, allowing him time for people watching.

"Maxwell, stop gaping and start moving." Wufei was not happy. The only pilot to work full-time with the Preventers, the job had succeeded to firmly anchoring the figurative stick up his ass. As far as he was concern, this meeting was not supposed to be happening, and he had no compunction about letting everyone else know it.

"Yes Dark Lord Feifeikins, I live to complete your orders and thus serve your dark fluffy justice will."

And then, executing a salute worthy of Colonel Treize Krushrenada, Duo smartly about-faced and marched off, leaving Wufei to stare after him, the nerve under his left eye twitching sporadically.

"Damn it, Maxwell!"

Relena was by herself when Duo approached her. Quatre had left to join Trowa outside in surveillance, probably (in Duo's opinion) to escape the various requests for sponsorship. Relena, it seemed, was taking a moment's rest, leaning casually against the doorway. To the outside world, she was merely a seventeen year old playing at God. He, as everyone involved in her life, had heard the rumors the critisisms and the threats. Yet each time she faced a council meeting, she had the poise of war-tempered general.

Part of him stood in awe of her total lack of fear. The other parts wished to bask in her destruction.

To state it simply, she always brought out the small street rat in him. She was every person who told him he was nothing. Every security officer who ever beat him. Every perv who tried to take advantage of him or his gang. She was the OZ soldiers, the Doctors, the council, the Generals.

It made him feel truly pathetic to know he was so intimidated by her. Sometimes, at really dark moments, he wished that the war restarted just so that he could watch all her perfect dreams for peace fester and rot.

"So your majesty, shall we adjourn the celestial hall to continue this wonderful foray into classical entertainment?"

"Really," soft laughter rolled off her tongue, "and all this time I thought it was a meeting."

Duo snickered as she continued.

"Yes Mr. Maxwell, let's return to this extravaganza, as you called it."

The walk to her seat took all of two minutes. In that time Heero and Wufei moved to the exit to speak to one of the field agents, while the rest of the council was seated, ready for another hour of debate. Relena calmly sat down, sorting the papers for the next agenda. As Duo stepped back, his glance registered the slight ripping of the water in the individual drinking glasses. The Vice Foreign Minister took a deep breath and smiled.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, let's begin."

And their world exploded.

The pressure on his back shifted, enough for Duo to know that the debris had finally settled. Occasionally both he and Relena heard their names, mere whispers under layers of concrete, plaster, brick and paint. Duo didn't even bother to shout, instead, resorting to banging piece of brick against one of the sturdier chunks that surrounded them. Relena wasn't certain it would have worked, but the momentary silence that followed reassured Duo.

"Hey Princess, alive or dead?"

Relena looked at him blearily, "Alive, I think. Dead means it wouldn't bother me that this is the crappiest tomb I have ever seen."

"At least you have a rose garden to enjoy for all eternity."

Relena snickered, "Yes, bury the culprit along with the victim. Very ingenious."

Duo's own chuckles joined in, but in the stillness of the their little hovel, it died quickly.

"Well, Mr. Maxwell, since we seem to have time on our hands, a good conversation is in order. How are you?"

" Fine, I think. Not too sure where my legs are, but since I'm talking to you, I figure, everything's in its place."

"Ohh! So I'm not alone in the missing body parts department. I can't seem to find my right arm."

"It's the bordering from the roof. Your hand is pinned under it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I can see it. Don't try to move anything."

Silence made a comeback.

"Well at least, we know Heero in his element."

They shared a snicker as the image played out in their heads. Both had seen Heero at his worse, especially when it came to the safety of one former Queen-of-the-World/present Vice Foreign-Minister. The last time the Earth Sphere government and the Preventers were privy to one of Captain Yuy's 'mission modes', a paramilitary cult, two well-known inter-colony companies and one former L1 councilor discovered that there _were_ worse things than arrest and sentencing.

"How long do you think it will take him to get to us?"

"With or without his special equipment?"

"Oh, please, with you here? He probably be down in under thirty minutes!"

Relena snorted, "Thirty minutes, huh? If I could only find a man like that. My life would be complete."

Duo's snickering sputtered to a stop.

"What do you mean, Princess? He…isn't…with…?"

In the dim light, Duo could see her look of confusion.

"Maxwell? Of course he isn't with me! Why would you think so?"

Duo fought for a response

"Maxwell, Heero and I are not together. Where did you hear this?"

"Well that's what everyone has been saying. The council members were talking about your engagement to…um… Heero and and…the wedding..."

But even as he spoke, Duo sensed that he had just crossed a line that was going to bite him in the ass.

"Marry him? I thought Dorothy nipped that rumor in the bud!"

Yes, the ass biting was going to be brutal.

"Do you know how much problems these things cause? I can only imagine the reaction to these stories."

Especially since there was the issue of _his_ reaction.

"Oh…it's a rumour? Well…heh…what do you know! Heh…heh…"

"I mean, really, why people insist on pairing us! We are not compatible in any way!"

His living room wasn't the same.

"Well…uh…you know…um…"

"Seriously! What am I? Some character in their little fairy tale of war?"

He nearly lost his lease on the apartment for the imbedded chair.

"I recognize that both he and I are symbols of a new era, but why do they insist on this, this…"

"Well Princess, it's kinna possible."

Relena looked at him.

"I-I mean…you're perfect. You're royalty and you're really close to Yuy. And…well…he the saviour of the world…"

"So are you."

The rage of all his kills screamed in his head. Sweat that ran down his dust-coated

"No, I'm a terrorist. L2 street trash who take the names of the dead are terrorists. No better than wild animals."

The substitute roof above them groaned in distress. Both held their breaths as the wall, under the pressure of 25 tons of crumbled concrete and twisted metal and gravity, slid hesitantly to Duo's left. Duo could feel the jagged edge dragged through his Preventer's jacket, displacing the pillar next to him and releasing a shower of concrete dust onto them both. Then, just as it started, it stopped, their little hovel once again a pocket of wired solitude.

"Captain Maxwell," Duo tensed at the barely suppressed pain in Relena's voice, " remember that arm I couldn't feel?"

"Yes?"

"Well, I think I found it."

Duo's left hand made a tentative journey to his unseen side, the tips of his fingers barely grazing the surface. Fingers froze with Relena's flinch but Duo knew enough to realize that her hand had been released from its prison, and was covered in an all too familiar liquid.

"Okay, you probably have lacerations but there is no way to know if any bones are broken. Relena, I suggest you stay as still as possible."

"Relena! It must be really serious if you call me by my first name!"

Duo cringed

"Sorry Vice Foreign Minister, I didn't mean-"

"Oh no," Relena responded breathlessly, "I'm not insulted. Actually, it's refreshing to hear my first name again."

Uh…Wha?

"You never heard your name?"

"Well, not really. I've heard ma'am, Miss Vice Foreign Minister, even Miss Relena. But I've never heard my name said so easily."

"How about Heero?"

"Duo, Heero makes everything a mission. Saying someone's name, especially mine is equivalent to giving away the schematics of Wing Zero."

"Point…"

Relena sighed. "Even my brother treats me like the Queen of the World!" Duo would have been an idiot not to notice the wistfulness in her voice. "Anyhow, Maxwell, I choose not to live in a place I cannot change. We can only live in the present."

"True…"

"Good, so why are you letting the past define you?"

Here was the line again.

"Um…whadda ya mean…ma'am…princess?"

The sigh Relena gave made him blush.

"You know what I mean. Who told you you're nothing more than an animal?"

Duo remained silent

"Maxwell…Duo, I don't know who has said this to you-"

"No, no one said…you know what? Forget it…I'm sorry I said that. Um…just ignore what I said. Probably the tension…yeah…"

"-but you are not the monster you think yourself to be."

Something in him snapped.

"Monster?! That is what you think this shit is about?"

He could feel Relena's gaze burning into him.

"Monster! HA! If it was only that simple! Listen you little Pink Princess, you know NOTHING about being a monster!"

Relena was shocked into silence, but then showing the courage of prey, she said quietly,

"So, tell me. What is it like then?"

"HAVE YOU EVER KILLED TO EXIST? HUH? HAVE YOU EVER SUCKED THE LIFE OUT OF THOSE AROUND YOU JUST SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE ONE MORE DAY? EVER CRUSHED YOUR ENEMIES UNTIL THEY WERE NOTHING MORE THAN A RED STAIN ON THE GROUND?"

"No, Maxwell, I haven't."

"WELL I HAVE! DO YOU KNOW I BLEW UP TWO SCHOOLS? 3750 KIDS! YOU KNOW I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH THEM FOR A MONTH! TALK TO THEM EVERYDAY. HAD PALS. I EVEN HAD A BEST FRIEND! HAHAHA! THEN YOU KNOW WHAT I DID! I MADE THEM ALL GO BOOOOOM! HAAAA HA HA HAA! BIG BOOOM WITH BLOOD! YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE THEY WERE THE BAD GUYS. THEY HAD BAD PARENTS SO THEY HAD TO DIE! HA HA HA! BAD PEOPLE!"

"Oh, Maxwell." He could hear the heartbreak in her voice but the poison kept flowing.

"I CAN MAKE ANYONE GO BOOM! GOOD LITTLE TRAINED DOG! DESTROY! HAAAHAAAAH! DESTROY…everyone…because monsters…monsters don't…don't have no friends…monsters all alone…an' I'm all alone…"

Relena had the decency not to say anything for a long time. Even when he began to cry.

The drilling was both louder and more sporadic. If Duo had been paying attention, he would have recognized the slight alleviation of pressure on his left. Instead, Duo felt empty, his body now dead weight on Relena's chest. A while ago she tried to get his attention but he was too tired to care.

"Duo, Duo, please. You're scaring me. Duo please, I think they need to hear us under all this."

Duo responded in muffles.

"Maxwell. Duo… I can't hear you."

He shook his head vigorously.

"Maxwell, remember where my breasts are."

His head made a rather hollow sound when it met the concrete.

"Um…sorry…I uh…"

"I understand. You needed to get that out."

They fell silent again.

"Um, Prin…Rel…I …I shouldn't…"

"Duo, in the time that I have known you, have I ever told you or acted as if you were less than human?"

He didn't want to say it. Sister Helen and Father Maxwell may have failed at saving him from Hell, but they had at least taught him the power of words. Relena may have seemed like a stuff-up bitch with delusions of grandeur in their earlier meetings, and her obsessive compulsion a la Perfect Soldier made her more of a pink-addled twit on happy juice. However, she was the best candidate to maintain the fragile peace started by his and others' bloody hands. As much as he felt repulsed by her attitude and manners, the part of him was reluctant to burst that bubble she created for herself.

"Duo, please answer me. Did I ever do that to you or anyone?"

She wanted an answer, but for the life of him, he couldn't…he just couldn't…

"God, Dorothy was right!" Even in whispers her voice was heartbroken.

"Princess, like I said, you're a…a princess! I mean you probably had people waiting on you hand and foot, so life in the trenches…or alleyways maybe disgusting to you."

"But Duo…"

"Seriously, Princess. It was rude of me to say anything."

"Duo!"

"Just ignore me. You know me! Always putting my foot in my mouth! Heh heh!"

"Duo!"

"Let's focus on something else. Like conserving energy!"

"DUO, SHUT UP!"

And with that Duo got a flash of his worse nightmare; Relena had matched Heero's voice in intonation, volume and general I-will-blow-you-up-and-laugh-over-your-chard-brain-matter quality. Duo said a brief prayer of thanks to the God that decided to make Heero male.

"Duo," Relena began, taking a fortified breath, "first of all, if we were serious about conserving energy, then we wouldn't have this stimulating conversation now would we?"

"Alright, that's just mean!"

"Besides, One thing I have learnt from this position is that it is best to see the world as it is rather than what one wishes it to be. I hoped I have matured past the point of butterflies and flowers dancing in an endless sea of happiness."

The bitterness bowled him over. Relena continued

"Duo, no one, especially me, must ever be allowed to define who you. You have done a thing most extraordinary, even an all-powerful Earth's Sphere alliance council could never have achieved."

"What?" Duo voice was tentative, almost child-like and for a breath Relena mourned for those lost years.

"Duo, you…the other pilots made the ultimate sacrifice, you gave up yourselves. And worse yet, for something that can be destroyed at a flick of a wrist, or a misspoken word. You still do. That's why I so obsessed with this. I refuse to be responsible for turning your gift to rubbish."

"Relena… I…"

"I know…too sentimental. According to Chang too utopian…"

"NO, um, no. It's not that…I never thought of it that way. I mean," Duo stopped to try to get his thoughts together. "I mean everyone always looks at us funny. They wanna make us gods or demons or even our mechas. An' they make you feel bad when you don't wanna do anything."

"And they shouldn't! Duo, I apologize if I have ever made you feel worthless both during and after the war. The only excuse I can give is that previous naivety discouraged me from accepting the realities of life. I'd like to think I have been fortunate enough to have grow up."

Duo thought back to her conversation with Quatre that morning. She was a lot smaller than most of the council members. Even Councilor Luring himself towered over her slight five feet three inch frame, one of his hands big enough to crush the shoulder that it had rested on. Most of the member were or had been prominent soldiers in both wars. Many were former OZ generals. On the days of general meetings, Duo was privy to shouting matches and almost brawls. These men and women still had years of animosity and jealousy behind them and were quite ready to act on them. But the minute Relena walked into the room, it is as if a cloak of chain mail fell on the entire brew. They were still snapping and snarling, and they never missed an opportunity to rip her apart. Councilor Ortega had once remarked rather nastily that Relena was nothing more than a little girl playing dress up but when she took the podium she commanded respect. She was not afraid to back up her belief, even at the expense of her own public image.

"What I am saying is that I think you and the others are the most realistic and most grounded individuals I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. And regardless of what the world wishes to make of you, or me, or anyone who was involved in that dark time, you are the only person who can determine the outcome. I only hope that I could…could be one of the people you trust…"

Relena's voice had wrung out at the end of her speech, but the warm feeling that had bloomed in Duo's stomach simmered happily.

"Relena? Do…do you want to be my friend?"

It was the first time Duo ever saw Relena truly smile, and despite the pain they were both in, despite the seriousness of their predicament, it was the purest one he had ever seen.

"Yes. Yes, I want to be your friend."

"They're very close now."

"I...uhg...know...wish they would stop with the vibrations. Really hurting now."

"Your arm?"

"Yes…but there are other…places…now."

It seemed that Duo and Relena had been right on one thing, Heero was definitely in his element. Now, there was only one thick wall separating them from freedom, and approximately twelve minutes ago, the rescue team was able to drop a small radio into the hole. Given Duo had to turn it on with his pinky finger, the connection to the outside world made him feel a helluvalot better. Especially now; Relena was not doing as well as she had earlier. For one, she had stopped talking, instead opting to breathing deeply and occasionally stifling a groan or a flinch.

"Relena, want to tell me where else it hurts?"

"Well, …ugh…my head hurtz…my ribs …well…na hurt…but it feels funny…"

"Funny like what?"

"Ish…moving."

Oh yeah, there was one more thing. There was a small puddle of blood that seemed to be spreading determinedly.

"Relena?"

"Yeesh?"

Duo swallowed nervously

"Relena, listen to me. You must have punchered something. I need you to concentrate and tell me where it feels funny."

The long silence that followed terrified him.

"Feel…nothing on my right…can't feel…breast…" She tried laughing but collapsed into a coughing fit. Past injuries and symptoms flew through Duo's mind, as he listened to Relena's raspy breathing. She wasn't this bad earlier, her only complaint was her right arm and he was definitely sure that it was a clean break. If her lung was punctured, he would have felt the blood the moment the dust settled. Did something cut her during his little tirade? God, please let him not be responsible-

The weight lifted slightly and Duo's ears picked Relena's sharp gasp. Suddenly he remembered how the wall fell on top of them. He remembered how his body was positioned over hers. He remembered when Relena commented that the pressure on her chest was easing. The pressure…

_Oh shit, the pressure._

"Duo?"

"Yes Relena?"

"Need…to ask you shomething…"

Silence fell again.

"Relena?"

"Do…you have…have a…girlfriend?"

Duo brain stuttered to a stop.

"Wha?"

"Girlfriend…girl who…isha friend…with benefits.' The off-kilter giggle ghosted across his ear.

"Um...well…you see…"

"Com'un Doo…Dooo…wha your name? Oh yeah…Duo. Duo. You don't hab anyone…right? Memba…we are fwensies!"

Fwensies?!

"Relena? Relena!"

"Yessshh?"

"Relena, do you remember hitting your head?"

"Head? Head…my head…something hurt my…head…heady head!"

Duo took a steadying breath. Relena's voice began to take on the slur of a drunkard. Thanks to the efforts of those above, there was greater light in their hovel, enough for him recognize that that rose had caused more damage than he assumed. Her eyes kept up a valiant attempt to focus on him, but they gave up and began to roll into the back of her head.

"Relena? Relena! Look at me!"

The left eyes beat the right eye to focus on his mouth; the pupils however refused to cooperate.

"Duo…fwen? You look funny…sheepie now…closey…"

"Relena. Listen very carefully. You have a concussion. A very bad one from the way you're acting."

"Acting…yesh-yes."

Duo knew he was loosing her.

"Relena, you need to stay awake! You go to sleep and you die."

Relena stared at him blankly.

"…sleep?"

"Yes, sleep and Die."

It seemed like he got through to her.

"To die…to die, to sleep, perchan to…dream…"

Or maybe not.

Relena faded off, Hamlet's soliloquy of depression collapsing into a sludge of letters. Duo turned frantic.

"Relena? Relena! Um…uh…what were you askin' me earlier?"

"Earira?"

"Yes earlier. What was the question?"

"Um…I…I…wanted to…"

"Yes?"

"Duo are you girl friend."

There was a part of him that wished he never continued that conversation. It began swearing.

"No…no I don't have one."

"Why?"

"Never had time for them."

"Never have time…bad…I never have time…you…should have time…why?"

Now that part was demanding a pound of his flesh.

"I'm always busy. Protecting you is really important."

"Yessh, weary…wearily…impormant…"

Duo sighed

"Beside, you have to find someone really special to be with. Someone who respects you and loves you. Someone who knows you at your worst and still wants to be around. Someone who would treat you like a human, not a soldier, or a weapon. Someone who…"

"…h'ro…"

Duo chuckled, "Yes, a hero."

"No…noooo…H'ro…H'ro who…H'ro who!"

Duo's body froze.

"Whawah…whaya mean?"

"Heero…HEEEEROOO!" a maniacal giggle took over. "He'ro…he…nice…treat you like a fwen…noah …munsta…he could…beyor…boyfwen!"

Duo stillness turned to panic. He was very touchy about that topic. It was common knowledge that he was bisexual. Currently half of Preventers was pursuing his attentions. The fact that he was a Gundam pilot and bloody younger than everyone around him seemed to appeal to the perverseness in most people. Unfortunately people just assumed that his orientation meant that he was cheap. He had become very adept at protecting himself, especially from those who knew a bit about his past. The only people who protected him were his fellow pilots. Quatre had him declared a ward of his family while Wufei (and to a lesser extent Trowa) discouraged any unwelcome attention. The only person who seemed unaffected by his situation was Heero. But then again, Heero only dealt with what was in front of him. He always assumed that no one noticed how he acted around his partner. He had underestimated Relena.

And now she was getting worse.

"Re-really, uh, you think so?"

"Yesh. He…an oo…a good…fwen…Ooo sho be appy. Deserve ...ih."

She faded off again; Duo began to pray less for an end to the conversation and more for the next check in with Heero to come.

"Relena? Relena Wake Up!"

"Nooo Doo, sheepie." Relena was whining and she refused to open her eyes.

_Agent Maxwell, this is Agent Yuy, do you copy?_

"Relena! Princess wake up! DO NOT GO TO SLEEP!"

_I repeat, Agent Maxwell, this is Agent Yuy. Do you copy? Over. _

"RELENA, RELENA WAKE DA HELL UP NOW!"

"Whyyyy?" Relena frowned like a mulish child who was being told to get ready for school.

_Agent Maxwell, Agent Maxwell, respond! Over!_

"Relena! Relena! Vice Foreign Minister Dorlain, you will answer me!"

"Okay, I… wake up." Her eyes opened sluggishly as Heero's shout came over the radio.

_Duo, damnit give us an update, you baka! _

They were so close to releasing them from this prison. Already he could feel the wall above him crumbling under the low-pressure drill. She just need to hold on-

_Duo! Duo! _

_This is Agent Maxwell. We have a situation! _

_Wha-_

_The Minster is critical! I repeat the Minister is critical! Definite concussion, possible broken ribs. Heavy bleeding. _

_Is she conscious? _

"Duo, how rong do…ah haft a keep…eye…"

_Incoherent and going down fast. Heero you better move your perfect soldier ass NOW!_

_Copy over and out_

Thank God for soldier mode.

"Relena? Still awake?"

"Ahent Maashuellu…I wan…tah sheep…"

"No-no-no Relena! You need to stay awake, now! Heero is almost here!"

"Uh uh…too tired…wanna sleeepuh."

A chunk of wall collapsed to his left. Light blinded them as it bounced off shards of glass from the window, allowing him to finally see the extent of the damage.

"Oh shit! Relena! Stay awake! See they are almost here! Stay and I tell you a …a…a secret!"

"Scheecrit?"

"Yes! Yes!"

The beam of light became larger. Someone's hand came in.

"Now you have to promise me that if I tell you this secret, you have to stay awake and keep repeating it. It's a really important secret. If you go to sleep, people will find out the secret and that's wrong, right?"

"Why…don...I just…member and sleep…"

"No! No-no, if you sleep, they can trick you into talking in your sleep! You need to stay Up, Please!"

A head replaced the hand. Wufei's

"Maxwell! Status!"

"GET THIS FUCKING THING OFF US! NOW!"

Wufei flinched back at the steel in his voice, but as his gaze passed over Relena, swore loudly and disappeared into the light. Above, Duo could hear renewed activity as finally, he hoped, they had finally seen the magnitude of the situation.

"Doo…Doo?"

"Relena? You still here?"

So…tire...shee…"

Duo was close to tears, desperation saturating his voice.

"Hold on. Please! I-I haven't told you my secret! You have to stay awake! Okay?"

Relena's eyelids had given up. They sank.

"Ahright. I want…choo…be your beshfwen…no sheep…pwomis…"

The whole was much bigger now. Duo could feel the slab right above him lift away. As the light glared now on them both, Relena flinched and tried to turn away. Her face was bloody, the spot where the rose hit her, a mass of exposed muscle and blood. Her skin had taken on the mated grey of concrete and her hair was a miasma of dust, stone, skin and blood.

Her eyes. They skittered over his face in a haphazard manner. The pupils dilated and refused to focus on him. But all this did not frighten Duo as much as the look in her eyes. It had the hazy, glass-like sheen he had seen only once all those years ago.

"It...hur…must...stay…away for...secwet."

"Yes, here's the secret"

As the last chunks of pillar were removed from his legs. As both Wufei and Heero reached in to lift him off. As Relena finally gave in to her body ultimate surrender, Duo bent down his head…

And whispered his secret.

"I'm surprise she stayed awake that long."

"What do you mean."

"If she had slept, the blood loss would have put into a deep coma. Her chances of coming out of it would have been at best ten percent."

"Well Doctor Po, what is her status now?"

"She currently on painkillers. She can only stay awake for three hours at a time. However, given she maintains her current routine, she should be up and about in about three months."

There was a hubbub.

"Really Doctor. Don't you think that's a bit extreme?"

Sally took a calming breath.

"Gentlemen, I don't think you truly appreciate the extent of her injuries. Miss Dorlain was not supposed to be alive. While her broken ribs didn't puncture her lungs cleanly, there was enough shifting to cause considerable damage. The bone fragments that made it to her kidney nearly caused her body to shut down. This combined with the two breaks in her lower arm and the cracked skull and her concussion, well…all I can honestly say is be damn thankful you have a Vice Foreign Minister."

An uncomfortable silence blanketed the council room. Sally looked on in satisfaction as grown men and women shifted reluctantly in their seats. The head of the committee cleared his throat.

"Mmhum…Thank you…uh…Dr. Po for your report. Please give Miss Relena our regards."

And with that it was over.

It didn't look like a hospital room. The walls were a pastel green, with cream bordering which painfully reminded everyone of the now demolished hall. The bed was the usual hospital fare, but thanks to artistic molding, had the appearance of a single bed. There was a carpet electric rug, which extended to the entrance to the private bath. Chairs, all upholstered with light orca-shaded material, were scattered around the room, and opposite the bed, a love seat containing pillows and blanket accompanied the dark green bed sheets.

Naturally, Relena's florescent pink blanket screwed up the entire image.

"Duo, it's my blanket. Deal with it."

"But Relena. It's pink. Very Pink. It's an Evil Sort of Pink!"

Relena rolled her eyes. "Yeah right."

"I'm serious. I can see it now. While you sleep, the demon of pink blankie of Doom rises from its coma..."

"Duo!"

"…dragging its way across the floor. Sucking the world's colour in vengeance."

"That's not funny."

"Poor Mrs. Craver, her urine was a bright healthy-"

"DUO!"

He smiled.

As it turned out, Duo broke his left leg in about four places. However, unlike Relena, his injuries stopped there. For a very long while, he thought that he was responsible for Relena's critical injuries, berating himself for not recognizing the sign that he was so familiar with on his own body. He couldn't, even now, get the image of her pale, limp and bloody body on the gurney.

"So Relena Princess, when they gonna let you leave?"

"Well Sally wants me to stay for an extra week before I get transferred to Zechs' place. But I would really like to leave now."

"Relena, we already went through this. Your doctor said he was concerned with the possibility of a blood clot. You are restricted from moving. Thankfully your brother recognizes the risk."

"Heero, there are times you can be very irritating."

Heero just smirked in response.

The fallout from the accident was both trivial and profound. On one hand, the Preventers had proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were the only peacetime organization that could fulfill their mandate to protect the Vice Foreign Minister and the peace. Both the media and colony governments sang their praises. Duo in particular came into the spotlight for 'keeping the Minister alive at such a tentative moment'. Still the accident introduced an atmosphere of paranoia that had yet to dissipate. The world recognized how close they had come to losing a leader, a leader who was too important to too many people. The result of an emergency Earth's Sphere meeting saw the increase in Relena's personal and public guard. All buildings connected to the government and the Preventers were slated for inspection and reinforcement. The most commented change was the re-appointment of Captain Yuy and Captain Maxwell as the head of the Vice Foreign Minister's private guard.

"Hey enjoy it! At least you didn't have soldier boy, first class dick wad as your nurse. Do you know that bastard scheduled my TV time? Me!"

"Because baka, you are even more stubborn than Relena about your health. You should be thanking me for allowing you to visit. As I do recall, you had to reset you leg again when you stupidly decided to make a snack."

"I was hungry damnit. And you were just being a sick bastard, feeding me tofu and veggies!"

"They contain proteins and nutrients necessary for your healing."

"And tasteless!"

"Deal with it 02."

Relena laughed while he sulked. Heero merely rolled his eyes.

"Come on, at least he cared. If he didn't, you would be alone, in your own white-wash room."

Duo had to smile, especially when her laugh became devious. "True, very true. But it still doesn't mean anything!"

"Ah, but yes it does! Now all we have to do is plan the seduc-"

"RELENA!"

To nurses, guards and patients passing outside, the joy in both Duo and Relena's voice spoke of a new friendship based on a shared experience of suffering and deliverance. What they don't hear is the other connection, the simple secret that had allowed Duo to help Relena to hold on. Unbeknownst to him, it and the real friendship that he offered so willingly, had given her new purpose and she fully intended to see it succeed.

She was going to make damn sure that Duo's crush on Heero be recognized.


End file.
